What do former homeless trays and shelter dogs uch as Chance, Lucy,Oliver, Mr. Bumbles, Wanda,Garth and numerous othershave in common? Each is joy-fully ensconced in a loving,“paw up” from Pet Things inDouglasville, Ga.

When co-owners Terry and
Cathy Briecic, with their son
Brandon, relocated to Douglasville from Wisconsin, the number of abandoned pets roaming
the area dismayed them. Upon
opening their store in fall 2012,
the family vowed to place an emphasis on this community issue.
Pet Things has stood behind its
local shelter and fostering homeless pets ever since.

LENDING A PAW

“Even prior to opening our store,stray dogs showed up in ouryard,” Terry said. “Lucy the Muttjust turned up one day.”Alone, Lucy had been wan-dering the rural roads of Dougl-asville before chancing upon theBriecic’s yard full of good-na-tured golden retrievers. As twi-light fell, the front door of thehome remained ajar and beyond,a welcoming couch beckoned. Af-ter slipping into the house, Lucycurled up on those downy cush-ions and promptly adopted theBriecic family as her own.

Prospects were bleak for
Chance. Dropped in the countryside by his former family, the
abandoned Catahoula puppy
had been drifting for days until
a kind stranger brought him to
Pet Things.

“Chance was our 45th foster
dog,” Terry said. “He came into
the store as a stray, but I took him
to the shelter for his microchip
and photo, essentially making
him a shelter dog, even though
he was never actually there.

“The foster dogs come to the
store with us and get a lot of
touch time,” he added.

Terry noted that all fosters
have been shelter dogs, and these
canine ambassadors serve to direct the public eye toward the
plight of homeless animals.

“We don’t believe in a freedog, so [we] charge a $250 adop-tion fee here at the store,” Terrysaid. “That money is then usedto purchase supplies for the shel-ter. Our dog food manufactur-ers sponsor the initial veterinarycheckup, and when a pet joins anew family, it is fully vetted.”Adoptive families receive afree bag of food, a bath for thenew pet at the store’s self-servedog wash and a discount on ad-ditional items, such as collars orleashes.

The Douglas County Animal
Shelter and the four-legged residents awaiting their own family
are not overlooked. Since 2012,
Pet Things has donated 45,000
pounds of kibble and 7,850 cans
of food to the shelter.

“With the canned food, we do
a ‘buy five,’ with a sixth can donated to the shelter,” Terry said.

Even non-dog-owning members of the community get into
the act by purchasing food for
donation, often by the case.

“All the food companies havebeen great,” Terry said. “Dave’sPet Food has supplied probably75 to 80 percent of these cans, andwe appreciate the contributionsof every manufacturer.”Community support extendsto canines in law enforcement.When the North American PoliceDog Association holds its annualtraining event in Douglasville forpatrol, drug, bomb and cadaversearch dogs and their handlers,Pet Things is a presence.

“Last year, we provided 250goody bags filled with donateditems from dog food manufactur-ers and several large bags of dogfood for a drawing,” Terry said.“It’s is all about support.”

A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT

The Briecics’ affable golden retrievers serve as store greeters,
often joined by Lucy and Jasmine,
another rescue.

“Jake and Sara were our firststore mascots; everyone knewthem,” Terry said. “When Jakewas alive, people came in spe-cifically to see him, but the otherdogs have stepped up since Jakeand Sara have passed.”Proper nutrition through edu-cation is at the core of the store’sphilosophy.

“We believe one of our crown-ing achievements is the level ofknowledge of our employees,”Terry said. “We pride ourselveson how well we educate pet par-ents when it comes to animalhealth and wellness in relation tonutrition and quality of life.”A broad selection of grain-free, dehydrated and frozen-rawpremium pet foods are in the mix,

The Happiest Place On EarthPet Things champions the Douglasville, Ga., petcommunity through adoption events, fosteringhomeless animals, pet food and supplydonations to the local shelter, and much more.KNOWLEDGE, SELECTIONAND COMMUNITY

When Brenda Martin opened her heart
and home to Sadie, high-quality nutrition for the Labrador/border collie mix
topped the homecoming list.

Martin initially shopped at a
big-box pet supply before seeking out
Pet Things.

“Rather than walking into asupermarket or a large pet supply andpicking up a bag of dog food, I wantedto shop at a specialty store with qual-ity items,” Martin said. “I was lookingfor the individual attention and knowl-edge of a well-informed staff.”Pet Thing’s collaboration withthe Douglas County Animal Shelter,where Martin volunteers, clinchedthe deal.

“I knew they provided a lot ofhelp and support for the shelter, andthat was a big draw for me,” shesaid. “They have donated thousandsof pounds of food to the shelter, andthey hold regular adoption events inthe store.”Further, Martin admires theBriecics’ dedication to fosteringhomeless pets.

“Without Terry and Cathy in this
community, the shelter would really
struggle,” Martin said.

Recently, Lexi joined the Martin
family and, like Sadie, the rescued
Carolina dog’s essentials are purchased from Pet Things.

“Everyone is so helpful, and
there’s a great selection,” she said. “I
really trust their expertise; they keep
an eye on all the manufacturers, and if
anything changes, they know.”